These apple spice donuts are healthy and delicious. Baked in the oven and made with buckwheat and wholemeal flours, raw sugar, and coconut oil, these donuts are super moist and comforting. The sweet white chocolate glaze and tangy pomegranate syrup make them look and taste like winter!

Hello, we’re back!

If you missed my last post, you didn’t hear about the comatose state of my computer. Thankfully, the part we needed arrived and, after an invasive surgery, my laptop’s wireless capability has been restored! Wahoo! Much thanks to my boyfriend and friend for getting him back up and running so swiftly.

But now for more important things, like donuts!

We’re into winter here in Canberra. Night has seized most of the day and brought the intense cold. Below freezing temperatures are the norm, and fuzzy blankets and hot mugs of tea are a must. Despite the weather, I’ve been trying to eat as healthy as I did during the summer months. I will admit that casseroles and other toasty things have replaced most salads, but I have been making healthy choices. Instead of cooking a cream, butter, and extra cheese laden mac n’ cheese the other night, I chose to recreate a delightful butternut squash version from Aimée Wimbush-Bourque’s (of Simple Bites) recent cookbook Brown Eggs and Jam Jars. And can I just gush over how wonderful this book is for a moment? The recipes are all wholesome, good eating, and her personal essays and anecdotes are so beautifully written. Not to mention the photography is insane! If you have a bit of extra cash lying around, you should really do yourself a favour and purchase a copy. I’ve made several things from her book already, and they’ve all been superb.

Along with my resolve to eat well, I’ve also been trying to bake with healthier, unprocessed ingredients. It is unfortunate that a lot of healthy dessert recipes result in dry, bitter, and simply unappealing treats. When I’m planning on splurging a little, I’d at least like them to taste good! If it’s not tasty, I won’t feel satisfied and that is when binging on chocolate chips and baking candy happens. (I would shock you with the amount of times this has happened to me.)

But never fear! That’s where these apple spice donuts come in! I promise you that you won’t feel deprived when you eat these cute, mini treats. Not only are they chock full of healthy, unprocessed ingredients, they’re also topped with an indulgent white chocolate glaze and pomegranate syrup, so you won’t feel cheated. The donuts themselves comprise of a combination of buckwheat and wholemeal flours, which I feel complements the sweet apple perfectly. The cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves lend a comforting element to the treats through their intoxicating smell. When I pulled these out of the oven, I nearly drooled. They smelled that good!

Don’t worry about them being dry, either. These donuts are far from dry. The egg, apple, yogurt, and buttermilk all see to that! There’s no butter involved here; a couple tablespoons of coconut oil contribute to the moisture while giving you a dose of healthy fats. Plus, the only sugar in sight is raw cane sugar, which is completely natural and adds a fantastic caramelly taste to the donuts without using overly processed brown sugar.

Wait! Before you say anything, I know I’ve topped them with chocolate. But honestly, it’s such a small amount that it won’t make a huge difference to your waistline, but will definitely make a huge difference to both your mood and how you perceive healthy desserts. The sweetness of the white chocolate is cut with the tang of a homemade, sour pomegranate syrup that is downright sinful. (I probably could have just eaten a cup of that syrup.) If pomegranates aren’t in season for you right now, you can also substitute the seeds for a 1/2 cup of natural pomegranate juice and reduce it down. Or simply skip the syrup and drizzle over some pomegranate molasses instead.

If you’re trying to be healthy like me but refuse to give up your treats, you will love these apple spice donuts. They’re totally indulgent and won’t make you regret your decision to make or eat them!

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg and then whisk in the sugar until combined. Slowly add the coconut oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Stir in the yogurt, buttermilk, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix. Finally, fold in the diced apple.

Pour the batter into a large Ziploc bag and cut off about ½-inch of one of the bottom corners. Use the bag to pipe the batter into the donut pan, filling the cavities only ⅔ – ¾ full. Bake the donuts for 8–10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Once the donuts have fully cooled, make the glaze. In a microwaveable bowl, combine the white chocolate chips, butter, syrup, and water. Microwave the ingredients for 15 seconds, then remove the bowl and stir with a rubber spatula. Repeat the interval process until all the chocolate is melted.

Acting quickly, dunk the top of each cooled donut into the chocolate glaze and scrape off the excess with a flat knife or palette knife. Allow them to dry on the wire rack while you make the syrup.

In a small saucepan, combine the pomegranate seeds, sugar, and water. Bring to a high simmer and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Using a fork, mash the seeds in the pan to release the juices. Simmer again for 2 minutes, then mash again. Scoop out the seeds into a fine sieve over the pan and squeeze as much juice out of them as you can by pressing them against the wire mesh. Trash the seeds. Finally, allow the juice in the pan to simmer until it takes on a syrupy consistency and coats the back of a metal spoon, 5–8 minutes. Take the syrup off the heat and cool for 5 minutes before drizzling over the donuts.

The donuts will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

3.5.3208

Like this recipe? Sign up for the newsletter and get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox!
Email Address

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click through and buy something, I may receive a small commission from your purchase at no additional cost to you! Thank you for your support and helping me to continue sharing delicious treats with you!

I love that these doughnuts have apple & buckwheat! Such a great flavour pairing, in my opinion. Also, I need to lose 10 lbs in the next 2 months (even though I have a baking blog) because I have a wedding to go to, but I think these doughnuts would be the right treat for me along the way. Right? 😉

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Rate this recipe:

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Hi there!

I'm Amanda, the baker, editor, photographer, and cinnamon lover behind this blog. I'm all about creating simple, fun recipes for delicious home baked goods using natural ingredients. Welcome, and thanks so much for stopping by! more about me →